Kingdom Hearts: Sanity's Requiem
by Shadowz
Summary: It's been two years since the door to Kingdom Hearts was sealed, but now the walls of the worlds are crumbling again. Sora, Donald and Goofy are out to find out why- but who is this 'guardian? And what are the Non-Existents?
1. Sleepwalker

Well, I've had this idea for ages and to actually be writing it seems a little...weird, but there we are. It's my first offering to the Kingdom Hearts section (yay!) so I hope you like it. A lot of the credit for the information goes to two websites in particular, kh2.net and especially ansemreport.com. There's not really much I can say, except please read and review! And of course, a massive thank you to my wonderful friends, ffmanic and Revenge Seeker, who put up with my excessive writing and beta'd this chapter for me! 

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. All I own is what ya don't recognise. So work it out.

Prologue- Sleepwalker

_"He looks...just like...you."_

            He was falling.

            It was the strangest thing he'd ever experienced- eyes closed and body relaxed as all he could feel around him was...nothing...

            Nothing...

            He frowned slightly at the feel of the apparent void surrounding him, struggling to open his eyes. His eyelids felt heavy and his limbs didn't seem to want to cooperate.

            _Am I...asleep?_

            Concentrating, he slowly prised his eyelids apart...and suddenly there was ground beneath his feet.

            He blinked, instantly no longer lethargic as he took in his new surroundings. He was standing on a dirt track, with grass fields stretching out endlessly around him. He glanced about in confusion, before looking ahead and realising that he wasn't alone.

            Up ahead a way, the path split into two and, standing at this crossroad, was a boy who seemed to be about his own age. He didn't appear to be moving at all, though, just gazing endlessly up at the night sky. He tried to call to the boy, to ask him where they were and what was going on.

            Nothing came out.

            Reeling in surprise, he lifted a hand to his throat, trying again to shout to the other person for some answers, but to no avail.

            _What's happening...?_

            His wonderment was cut abruptly short as he sensed motion on either side of him, and looked round quickly to see two figures rushing past, one on either side of him. He gaped in shock- they looked like a dog and a duck.

            From what he could make out in this apparently soundless world, the duck was yelling something to the boy in front, because the boy had started to turn. He took a step forward and made to call again as the boy moved slowly to look towards them, to show his face-

            All of a sudden, he was hit by a strong sense of sunlight, warm and bright. The world around him almost seemed to dissolve, slipping away from around him so quickly that he spun round desperately in search of something to cling onto. There was light striking him straight in the face- he brought up an arm to shield his eyes- and when he lowered it, he found himself somewhere else.

            Spread before him was another long path, this one winding down a grassy hill towards a sparkling blue sea. There was a boat tied to a sort of pier there, and his gaze was drawn to a nearby island of a very similar type- a long golden beach, small wooden shacks, and palm trees lining the cliffs. He gave a low whistle of admiration, even though he couldn't hear it, and turned in curiosity.

            He started at the sight of a slender girl standing surprisingly close by. Taking a couple of steps forward, he could see she was looking down upon a small town, illuminated by a sun that had just begun to set. She had her back to him, holding a bag in her right hand whilst using her left to tuck her loose auburn hair behind her ear. He watched in slight uncertainty as she wiped at her cheeks, her shoulders shaking- was she crying?

            Just as he put out a hand to touch her arm, there was an enormous bang- the world was plunged into a darkness thicker and heavier than before. He cried out silently in shock as the ground lurched, bringing him to land on his knees. He raised his eyes to find a huge white door looming in front of him, with another boy, this time taller and silver-haired, leaning heavily against it. Suddenly, with an obvious yell, the boy collapsed to the floor, face contorted in pain as he raised gloved hands to his eyes.

            Startled by the speed of the other person's fall, he scrambled to his feet, rushing towards the boy with the intention of helping him. A bolt of light sped in front of him, making him skid to a halt and look around for the source of it. Something cold grazed his cheek lightly as he squinted to see a small figure...which looked almost like an overgrown mouse...holding a...key?

            Torn between aiding the injured boy and investigating the other being there, he didn't register the falling water until his shirt began to cling to his skin. Blinking, he turned his face upwards to find a heavily clouded sky and a rainstorm in full force. He looked back down again, still wondering what to do, only to jolt at another scene change. Now he stood in a street, lit erratically by flashing neon light and filled by the silently pouring rain. He shifted slightly, overcome by the uneasy sense of being watched.

            His attention was caught by a large object skidding to an ungraceful stop on the soaked concrete. He recognized it as a person- a man- and from what he could see, he appeared frantic. Another figure stepped into view, approaching the fallen man with steady, confident steps, but he couldn't tell any more than that. A burst of coloured light showed him the person's lower face just long enough for him to register voiceless words being exchanged. Then, in a move so fast that he didn't immediately realise it, the second figure spun, drawing a long blade in a deadly arc to collide with the man's neck- there was blood on the ground- there were claws in his back-

            He was alone again, encircled by strange, creeping things that slashed and snapped at him. He caught a glimpse of glowing yellow eyes before he was dragged down, drowning in blackness and unable to even hear his own cries for help.

            _"Hey there, wake up."_

            He opened his eyes to see a young man staring down at him with a bicoloured gaze. He frowned at the weird familiarity of the man's features, the spikes of his dark blonde hair, and the small half smile.

            Still pondering over this, he noticed the man holding out a hand to help him up. Grinning back, he grasped hold of it, and then froze.

            _"Wake up!"_  
  
            The blonde's face was shifting, becoming thinner, younger, and his hair was lengthening, turning a bright red. He found himself looking up into the malicious green eyes of-

            _"Hey! Wake up!"_

            He jerked backwards as the red-haired stranger backhanded him viciously across his right cheek, releasing the hand he had taken and falling...just falling...

            The previous chasm was surrounding him again, but a picture was forming before him even as he descended- two cloaked figures, one standing and one sitting, visible only due to the full moon. The seated one was turning, its lips moving as it spoke words that echoed both around and inside him-

            "He looks...just like..."

            _"Hey!"_

            He frowned, trying to prevent the threatening unconsciousness from taking over once more, wanting to hear...

            "You."

            He reeled back, unknown emotions sweeping through him-

            _"Wake up, Tyke!"_

            Well, there's the prologue, and hopefully chapter one will be up soon. Until then, please review, and see you later!


	2. Reunion

         Wow! I didn't actually expect that much positive feedback for a first chapter, but a big thanks to the following for giving me my first five reviews for this: Silvermoon and Revenge Seeker (also big thank you's for continuing to suffer (without much complaint) as my betas), Crazy Girl Person, DemonSurfer, and WaitingForTheStars. So here's the next chapter, ready for you to read and review! Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I own some plots, some characters, and some character interpretations. Anything else...not mine.

Chapter One- Reunion.

"I'm here to protect him, not lead him to his-" 

         Tyke Shamira jolted awake with a gasp.

         A pair of green eyes swam before his gaze before pulling back to allow him to see the face of a grinning brunette girl.

         "About time!" she said half-jokingly, putting her hands on her hips. "_And_ we've been looking everywhere for you!"

         Still trying to catch his breath, Tyke glanced around to find himself seated on a worn spiral staircase, leaning back against the stone wall. The late afternoon sunlight was pouring through the arched window to the left of him, and all around him was the rhythmetic ticking of the cogs and wheels of the structure.

         _The Clock Tower._

         "Hey!" He looked back sharply to see the girl bending to be on an eyelevel with him. "Don't be so rude! You forgot to meet us earlier on, remember?"

         Tyke blinked, suddenly recalling the arrangement made yesterday. He met her gaze and offered her a sheepish grin. "Sorry Jess- ow!"

         Eyes narrowing slightly, he brought his hand up to his right cheek, wincing at the pain that had inflicted when he'd spoken and now returned at his touch. He looked at her, mind filling in the details, seeing her frown slightly as she straightened up.

         "Hey, I know I'm a deep sleeper, but there was no need to hit me!" he said exasperatedly.

         "What?" She glared at him in a mixture of confusion and indignance. "What the hell are you on about? I never hit you!"

         "Then w-" Tyke was cut off by the sound of a door being wrenched open somewhere below them. Another voice, a boy's, called up.

         "Oi, Jessie! Did ya find him?"

         Jessie turned to lean slightly over the railing. "Yeah, up here! Watch yourself though-" She glared back at Tyke. "He might accuse you of something as well." With that, she turned and pushed past the seated boy, continuing up the few remaining stairs and out of the open door at the top.

         With a sigh, Tyke stood up and stretched out aching limbs as footsteps clattered up towards him. He hadn't meant to annoy Jessie, but she had a short temper, and anyway- if she hadn't hit him, who had? The red-haired guy from his dream?

         _That dream..._

         He frowned again and shook his head slightly, trying to clear out his thoughts. It was just..._weird_. If he'd just dreamt it...why was this part of it real?

         _Maybe I'm just imagining things._ He told himself firmly as he ran a hand through spikey blondish hair. _I'm probably still half asleep._

         "Alright, Tyke?" A boy with dark hair held back by a bandana had appeared, grinning widely. "Jessie caught ya sleepin', huh?"

         Tyke grinned back at him. "Yeah, she wasn't too happy 'bout it."

         "I'll say." Another boy, this one blond and slightly smaller, emerged next to the first. "Your cheek's as red as anything, man!"

         The dark-haired boy smiled wider. "Yeah, Wedge's right. She must've got real mad at ya."

         Tyke shot them a confused look.

         _...so, it wasn't just..._

         Seeing this, the first of his friends rolled his eyes and began speaking in a slow monotone. "Tyke. Your. Face. Is. Swelling. Up. Get it?"

         "I know that, Biggs." Tyke snapped, then sighed. "Man, it's just...ugh, anyways, it wasn't Jess, but I, uh, kinda accused her of it. That's why she's mad."

         "I'd recommend grovelling for all yer worth. Or at least get life insurance." Wedge chipped in helpfully, then added, "Can we get a move on? 'Cause, y'know, I juss love standing around talking with you guys on a narrow staircase, but my arms are goin' kinda numb."

         Biggs laughed and went on up past Tyke, whilst the latter grinned at Wedge as he carried on ascending the stairs.

         "You got it then?" he asked. The other blond nodded happily.

         "Yep, right here. Hey, shift yerself, or you'll get trampled."

         With a slight chuckle, Tyke did as his friend asked and went up and out of the door just above them. After the door was a fairly wide stone walkway, spanning the entire side of the Clock Tower before pillars formed an interval where it bent around to the other sides of the structure. The actual clock face loomed above them, enormous black hands directing across a white background. It was the central point of the town, visible almost everywhere.

         Jessie already sat at the edge, legs dangling over the side, and he made his way over to sit down on her left. From here, he could see all of Cole's Junction spread out before him- people bustling in the maze of interlinking streets, trams and trains weaving through the mismatched buildings, and all the other occurrences of everyday life.

         The girl still hadn't said a word and didn't look round even when Tyke glanced at her. He sighed again and decided to break the silence.

         "Sorry I acted like that, Jess. I didn't mean it." Her green eyes flickered sideways towards him and he continued, "It's the weirdest thing though...I dreamt that someone hit me and then I wake up like this."

         _That was too surreal to be a dream,_ a little voice argued from the back of his mind.

         "Still," he carried on firmly, trying to ignore his subconscious. "I shouldn't have done it." He cocked his head at her. "Forgive me?"

         Jessie pursed her lips briefly before breaking out with a smile and a giggle, punching him lightly on the arm as she faced him.

         "Sure. But just 'cause you plead so nicely." She looked over at Biggs, who had moved to sit as well, and at Wedge, who was currently doing the same. "Well, are we ready then?"

         "Yeah, just a second." Wedge was twisting back from where he sat, digging down the bag he'd brought up with them.

         Whilst Biggs and Jessie watched him, Tyke went back to surveying the busy town in front of him, bathed in the late fiery glow of the sun. Even when faced with the hectic reality of his now homeworld, he couldn't quite shake off the lingering bewilderment of his dream.

         _It was just a dream, nothing more._ He was starting to get impatient with himself, but this was cut off by a sudden twinge in his cheek. _But...if it wasn't a dream, if it was something else...what was it?_

         A flash of bright silver in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he flicked his gaze in the direction of it in a slightly irritable manner, only to squint at the apparent sight of something silverish-white moving fluidly between the rooftops-

         "Got it!"

         Tyke snapped his head around to see Wedge grinning in triumph as he held up the thing he'd been searching for. It was a small, rigid branch of a blueish colour, curling and adorned with coloured orbs.

         Biggs caught his eye and explained, "We went to the Vita Tree earlier and got it. Remember, you were _supposed_ to meet us there." He grinned afterwards to show he wasn't really angry.

         Tyke returned the expression vaguely and glanced briefly back at the rooftops he'd been watching before, only to blink in surprise- there was nothing there.

         Shaking himself mentally, he turned his attention back to his friends. Wedge had held the branch over for Biggs to remove one of the large bead-like things from it and was in the process of doing so himself.

         "So," Jessie said. "Once we take these..."

         "We make a wish, right?" Wedge asked, handing her the branch, having selected a red sphere for himself. Jessie nodded as she inspected the remaining ones.

         "That's right. We make a wish, and then we keep the Crystals with us."

         "And as long as we do, we'll all meet again, right?" Tyke put in. Jessie paused in removing her chosen Crystal, a large yellow one, from a stem and looked at him curiously.

         "That's right, or so the story says. People who take Livella Crystals together from the same branch of the Vita Tree will meet again as long as they keep them." She smirked and finished taking hers, passing the bough onto him. "I didn't know you actually believed in it, Tyke."

         He shrugged, not entirely sure what he believed in. "Never said I didn't. Might as well try it though. And besides, the Vita Tree is where we all met, right?"

         The Vita Tree was located right on the very edges of Cole's Junction, an enormous old plant that grew these strange Livella Crystals instead of leaves. It was a way apart from the rest of the town, accessible by a bridge, which crossed a smallish river. He could still remember his first meeting with his friends- four years old and only having lived in Cole's Junction for a matter of months at the most, he'd run from his house for a reason he couldn't remember and had wound up by the Tree. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie had been there, trying to figure out the grooves in the trunk, thinking that there might be some way to get inside the Tree- maybe to another place.

         _Well, even if there is, we haven't found it._ Tyke mused, plucking the one leftover Crystal from the branch- a smooth, flawless ball, just the right size to fit in his fist and a deep blue colour that seemed to be sort of translucent. _And that was ten years ago. So it looks like we never will._ Setting aside the branch, he looked over at his friends and copied their motions of holding up the orb in front of them.

         "OK, everyone!" Jessie exclaimed happily. "Wish!"

         Tyke watched as his Crystal glimmered in the sunlight, unsure of what to think of. Biggs was probably asking for the attention of whatever girl he liked this week. Wedge might be wishing for fame or adventure. He could hear Jessie muttering something incoherent, but figured that the word 'explosives' probably occurred at some point. If only he could be so decisive...

         _I wish I knew what my dream meant._

         He blinked in shock at the sudden, silent voice in his mind. He hadn't meant to use his wish like that- it seemed to just be the work of a random instinct. He could hear his friends now laughing and chattering amongst themselves, but, for some reason, he felt oddly disconnected. Wondering if wishes came true...

         "Hey!" A hand waved in front of his face- he glanced to his right to see three pairs of eyes fixed on him. He shifted slightly.

         "Yeah?" he asked, trying to make it seem as casual as possible.

         "You OK, man?" Wedge's face was creased in concern. "You seem kinda... out of it?"

         Tyke rubbed absently at the back of his neck. "Sorry. I was just thinking, maybe I should get my cheek sorted out. Maybe Lucia can cast magic on it for me."

         "Yeah, it does look kinda swollen." Jessie agreed, peering at it. "You going now then?"

         "Yeah...probably should. She'll be wondering where I am by now anyways." He stood, pocketing the Crystal. "See you all tomorrow then?"

         "Guess so..." Biggs replied, stretching his arms out and giving a lazy yawn. "We're meeting at ten, right? Here. OK?"

         Tyke grinned. "Got it. See ya then."

         With a wave and a rally of goodbyes, Tyke set off, quickly descending the spiral staircase and making his way out of the clock tower door and across the Main Square where it stood. He chose to go off down one of the less populated roads, hoping for some time to think. Glancing back at the Tower, he could see his friends still there, and gave a final parting wave before strolling away.

         He carried on down the streets and lanes at a leisurely pace, hands in his pockets and eyes down as he replayed the dream over and over in his mind. Despite his hopes, each time he thought about it only increased his confusion, and every decision that it was nothing more than imagination only built up the resistance of that irritating little subconscious voice against such an idea-

         Silver shot in front of him.

         His eyes caught the sudden movement, his head jerking up to follow it as it sped towards the wall of a house and off down the road. His eyes widened and squinted in order to make out a thin, silverish-grey being fleeing in an almost impossibly agile way. He hesitated for only a fraction of a second before running after it.

         He tore down the streets, finding it increasingly difficult to keep up as the thing leapt and twisted between roofs, walls and the ground. It seemed to realised his presence, escalating its pace and redirecting sharply down side alleys and smaller roads in an obvious attempt to loose him. Still he charged after it, not even sure why he was but somehow knowing- or, more likely, blindly _hoping_- that it held some strange link to his dream.

         The creature bounded between buildings and back again, launching itself in an elongated shape towards a solid brick wall. Tyke skidded to a halt, catching sight of an almost reptilian face decorated by a strange white cross before the thing was swallowed into a large dark portal that sealed behind it.

         For several long moments, the fair-haired boy remained frozen exactly where he stood, heart thudding wildly in his chest. Then, instincts suddenly kicking in, he turned and fled for home.

         He was panting for breath by the time he burst in through the door of his small house several streets away. He was greeted by a surprised cry as the young woman at the stove spun around, almost knocking over the pan she had been stirring.

         "Tyke!" She let out a relived sigh. "Don't scare me like that! And it's about time too- where've you been all day?"

         "Sis, you won't believe this!" Tyke gasped out. "There was this thing, some monster, and it-"

         "Whoa, slow down there!" his sister told him, holding her hands up. "Take a deep breath and s- oh Gods, Tyke, what happened to you?"

         Blinking in puzzlement, it took Tyke a moment to remember his injury, by which time she had ushered him into one of the chairs at the table of the room and was tilting his head to the light to see it.

         "What did you do?" she muttered, half to herself. "Have you been fighting again?"

         "No!" he protested impatiently. "I swear, Lucia! There was this creature- and I dreamt that- it was just really-"

         "Hold still." She interrupted, placing a hand over the slight swelling of the right side of his face to mutter, "Cura."

         Tyke fidgeted slightly as the cool feel of the white magic seeped from Lucia's fingers and onto his bruise. Immediately it felt better, and he began to talk again as she inspected him.

         "Seriously, though, Lucia, I chased some weird creature from the Clock Tower, and it disappeared through some portal over some streets away, and there was some kinda cross marked on its face-"

         He stopped as Lucia withdrew her hands from his face, uncertain- he could have sworn he'd felt her fingers tremble.

         "Hey, can it wait a bit, Tyke?" she asked, tucking some golden hair behind her ear. She always wore it long and loose to cover a scar on the right side of her face, running from her temple to her cheekbone. "Go clean yourself up- you should be OK now- dinner's nearly ready and I'll get it out in a sec- alright?"

         Tyke frowned slightly at the smile she gave him- it seemed a little too forced. "Sure." He replied, standing and going over to and up the narrow staircase that ran up the opposite wall. Apart from the main room downstairs, this was the rest of his house- two tiny bedrooms and an even tinier bathroom, to which he was currently headed- but even if it was cramped, it was home. He'd been living here since he first came to Cole's Junction with Lucia, straight after their home had been destroyed. She'd brought him up, looked after him after their parents had died in the same event. He didn't remember them- he'd been too little to recall anything, and Lucia found it painful to discuss them, so he didn't ask. All that was left of them now was an old, battered photograph, snatched up by Lucia amongst a few other belongings as they'd escaped, which now hung over the fireplace in a frame.

         Tyke sighed, stretching out as he stepped into the bathroom and pulling a face at his reflection in the mirror, noticing his right cheek was slightly flushed compared to the other, but nothing more than that. Just as he reached out to twist he tap of the sink on, there came a knock downstairs, and he carried on as he listened to Lucia moving to answer to the door. Water gushed out into the sink and he made to get some in his cupped hands.

         "You!"

         He paused, eyes wide at the sound of Lucia's raised voice. Eternity, which in reality could only have been seconds, seemed to drag on before the reply.

         "Hello Lucia."

         It was a male voice- low, calm and only just audible. Tyke quickly turned off the tap and dried his hands down his black trousers, focusing carefully.

         "What do you want?" Lucia's voice dripped with a venom Tyke had never heard before.

         "What, no warm welcome back?" the man's voice was slightly amused. "I think you already know."

         "You expect to resurface after all these years and just ruin our lives?" his sister hissed. "I already told you, I won't let it happen! I'm here to protect him, not lead him to his-" He thought he heard her choke slightly. "Get out. I don't care. Just crawl back to wherever the hell you came from."

         "I'm afraid I can't do that." Tyke could almost make out a slight sigh. "I'm here and I've got a job to do. Where is he?" 

         _He?_ Tyke's blue eyes narrowed. _Does he mean...me?_

         "He's not here." Lucia spat. "I don't know where he is."

         There was a pause, then a laugh- something that made Tyke shiver, even though he didn't know why. Intrigued, he tiptoed out of the bathroom and back to the top of the stairs.

         "I think you're lying, Luci." the man said. Tyke flinched at a creeping sense of familiarity.

         "Don't you dare call me that!" she snapped. "You don't care- you never did- get out before...before I kill you!"

         "Kill me?" Another laugh, a booted footstep on the wooden floor and another flinch for Tyke. "Oh Lucia, you don't even realise..."

         Something in Tyke snapped at those words, something in the mocking tone enraging him to rush down to the bottom step of the staircase, yelling, "Get the hell away from her!"

         His sister looked up at him with horrified eyes from where she stood, gripping the kitchen counter behind her tightly. A tall figure dressed in a long dark coat with the hood up stood with its back to him, head cocked slightly- he figured this was the man.

         "No!" Lucia cried frantically. "Tyke- go upstairs- quick!"

         The figure was turning to face him, hands emerging from long sleeves to push back the concealing hood. Tyke was furious.

         "You heard me! Get lost!"

         The hood fell back and Tyke's eyes widened.

         Facing him was a pale young man somewhere about his early or mid twenties, with longish spikes of dark blonde hair falling into a calm, mismatched gaze of blue and brown.

         _That guy...from my dream..._

         Then he spoke.

         "Really, Tyke. Is that any way to greet your big brother?"

         Another cliffhanger, huh? Well, you know the drill: review and tell me what ya thought! It seemed a bit long to me, but I couldn't really break it up, otherwise it wouldn't work. I hope to have the next chapter up as soon as possible, but what with overloads of coursework (damn ICT) and pending exams, I might not be able to stick to that. But anyways, I'll try. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and see ya soon.


	3. Threefold

         This chapter was brought to you by excessive caffeine, procrastination of coursework and replaying of the second track of the Rasmus album ('In The Shadows'). Heh, big thanks to Revenge and Silvermoon for betaing yet again, and to Silvermoon and DemonSurfer for reviewing. And now on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: Look, if it was mine, Riku would be in a cage in my basement. Nope, he ain't there. Damn.

Chapter Two- Threefold.

         _'It had been a long time since the door had shut...'_

         _Two years..._

         Two years is a long time.

         The boy groaned where he lay on the inn bed, rubbing gloved hands over tired eyes. He'd been there for hours, just staring endlessly at the ceiling and trying to stop his mind from wandering.

         Because, every time it did, it rewound back two years.

         Two years ago, he'd damned one of his best friends by locking him away in the heart of all worlds, and lost the other when the numerous existences began to split apart again and their walls began to reform.

         And so, here he was. Searching for Riku, searching for King Mickey, searching for...Kairi...

         _But time's running out._

         It was true- no matter how much he wanted to deny it, it was true. When the door of Kingdom Hearts had been sealed and the worlds had been restored, the furthest ones had started to rebuild their walls immediately. This meant that travelling between planets in the Gummi Ship had still been possible, depending on where they wanted to go.

         But as time went on, where they went became more and more dependant on where they could _get_ to- only last week, they'd suddenly found themselves unable to enter Agrabah, finding it suddenly inaccessible after their last visit a few months before- and now he was having to face the horrible possibility that he might end up getting trapped in some strange world without even realising until he couldn't leave, and then not being able to see Kairi or Riku or Destiny Islands ever again...

         "Sora!"

         Sixteen-year-old Sora, the Keyblade Master, sat up abruptly as the familiar call was punctuated by a loud thump at his door.

         "Uhh...yeah?" he answered, scrubbing his fingers through his brunette spikes in an attempt to make them stand normally after having been flattened for so long. There was another, louder thump at the door, and Sora winced, remembering that he'd locked it the night before. "Hey, hang on-"

         Before he could continue or move to open the door, there was an almighty crash as wood splintered, ripping the deadbolt from the frame and allowing two figures to tumble through as it flew open. Sora watched with a wide, startled gaze as they came to a halt in the middle of the room, then slapped his forehead in realisation.

         "Goofy, you big palooka!" Donald squawked, muffled by the rug on the floor. "Get off of me!"

         "Oh, sorry Donald." Goofy got up from where he had landed sitting on top of the duck and turned to help him to his feet. The Mage leapt up by himself, ruffling his feathers and brandishing his staff menacingly, causing the Knight to turn his attention back to Sora with a grin and a cheery wave. "G'mornin' Sora. Did ya sleep well?"

         "Yeah, fine." He didn't really feel like explaining the truth- it wasn't like there was anything his friends could do- and there was a slightly more pending problem than that of his pensiveness. He sighed heavily.

         _...I wonder how much the innkeeper's gonna charge us for property damage..._

         "Are you getting out of bed?" Donald exclaimed angrily. "We're going to Traverse Town this morning, remember?"

         "Uh, yeah. Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Sora replied absently, which made the duck quack again irritably at being ignored, before he followed Sora's gaze to the ruined door and gave a slightly nervous laugh. Goofy blinked a few times in wonderment at the pair, the realised the problem and wandered over to heave up the fallen wood. 

         "Gawrsh, whadda we do now?" he asked, letting it drop again and scratching his head. "How're we gunna fix this?"

         "Goofy, stand back!" Donald proclaimed, waddling forward and waving his staff. "I'll handle this!"

         The dog shrugged, strolling back over towards Sora and leaving Donald to it as he said, "Y'know, you should probably get up soon. Donald was saying he'd cast magic on ya if ya didn't-"

         "And I will!" the duck interrupted from where he was attempting, with little success, to lift the door back upright. "As soon as I get this done-"

         "Yeah, OK." Sora swung his legs over to sit on the edge of the bed, knowing that he probably seemed very quiet, and yet feeling too disconnected to do anything about it. he was still wearing his clothes from the day before, but couldn't be bothered to get changed- especially not in the current lack of privacy.

         As he pulled on his shoes, a strange, low buzzing filled his ears. Sora frowned and shook his head slightly- as suddenly as it had come on, it had left again.

         _Weird..._ he thought. _Maybe I'm just tired..._ Noticing Goofy's slightly concerned expression, he grinned widely and reached out for the Keyblade lying across the bedside cabinet and heaved himself up.

         Sora stood, his fingers curling around cold metal, opened his mouth to say something, and then collapsed into darkness.

                                                                        * * * * *

          She wandered through the caves almost like a lost spirit, seeking some shade from the fierce midday heat of the island. Her friends had all headed towards one of the tumbledown beach shacks, but she had opted to be alone for a while.

         _As always..._

         A small, sad smile tugged at her lips briefly before dropping again. with a sigh, she shook her head and carried on, ducking slightly to avoid hitting her head on the low ceiling of the entrance tunnel and feeling her way along in the slight dimness until she eventually stepped out into the cave itself.

         Violet eyes blinked to adjust to the bright sunlight pouring through random cracks and crevasses in the ceiling, illuminating the green vines and chalk drawings decorating the walls without destroying the tranquil coolness in the stone room. After a slight pause, she padded over the sand towards the back of the cave, determinedly avoiding looking at the large wooden door, sealed shut opposite the entrance.

         Familiarity meant that it took her almost no time at all to find what she was looking for, and she knelt slowly in front of it. Her fingers traced lightly over the rough picture of herself and a certain friend, feeding each other the legendary Paopu fruit, and a wave of overwhelming pain crashed over her. It was the same every day, had been for the past two years- she'd come here alone when it got too hot outside and sit in this exact same space and remember. Remember her friends- especially _him_- remember all their laughter and chatter and adventures...

         Remember how they'd been driven apart. 

         Swallowing hard against the lump that had formed in her throat, the girl allowed her eyes to slide shut, succumbing to the memories. She was fourteen again, shocked and terrified as the ground split scant inches from her toes, dragging her away from her friend, her hand slipping from his grasp...but he'd tried to smile. Spoken those words...

         _"I'm always with you too!"_

         _...wait..._

         _"I'll get back to you!"_

         Her eyes flew open in horror.

         Although she could remember the words, she couldn't remember the voice, _his_ voice- it was gone now, lost, leaving simple, emotionless phrases behind in her memory.

         _His voice...it's left me..._

         She clamped her hands over her mouth, staring at the carving of the boy even as her vision wavered and blurred with tears.

         _Sora...I'm sorry..._

         Kairi wept.

                                                                        * * * * *

         The rain fell at a steady, rhythmetic pace, forming pools and puddles that splashed under continual, confident steps. The air was filled with the sound of it, gently pouring down and occasionally emphasised by the erratic buzzing of the frequent neon signs, bright flashing contrasts to the dense gloom of the night.

         Thunder rumbles somewhere up overhead, a crackle of lightning forking the sky, and the figure paused, head slightly cocked as it listened. The noises echoed and reverberated, painting it a clear picture of the crowded skyscrapers and monoliths that created an intricate labyrinth of dark side streets and twisted alleyways.

         _And I didn't even need to use my sword..._

         A smirk graced the person's lips as they stretched out their arms and tilted their face to the sky. The hood of the long coat fell back, revealing pale skin and light silver hair that became steadily soaked by the downpour. For a moment, he just remained there, a feeling almost like relief sweeping over him briefly.

         _...is this what it meant? It's gotta be here..._

         Riku straightened and turned his face to scan the streets in front of him, concentration split between figuring out a route to take and resurfacing memories. Another crash of thunder, another slight hesitation, and he started off again, quickly regaining his previous pace and thinking intently.

         He flinched inwardly at the sound of a door locking shut, knowing it was just imagination. It had been a long time since the door had been shut- maybe a year, maybe two- but he could still recall it as though it had occurred mere hours before- telling Sora to look after Kairi, helping him to drag the door shut; the uncertainty, the guilt...

         _The pain..._

         He'd blacked out and found himself at the start of a long, winding path, leading into...nothing. At the time, he hadn't realised it was a dream, and had begun to trudge along it in a dejected manner. Suddenly, he'd fallen, feeling almost as though he was about to disappear, every atom of him about to wrench apart and dissipate against his will.

         Then he had heard it.

         _The Voice._

         It wasn't so much _hearing_ as _sensing_ the words being 'spoken' to him that drove him up, pushed him on, filling the numb void of regret within him with a kind of hope, a sort of determination...

         He'd opened his eyes to see darkness.

         Adaptation had taken a while, but he'd learnt. His skills were sharper now, he was stronger than before, and he knew what he had to do. When he was ready, he and King Mickey had set off to find the path from Riku's vision, determined to discover who- or _what_- the Voice belonged to.

         What they hadn't fully counted on was an attack.

         It had been a hard fight- all the more challenging under the circumstances, not least being hopelessly outnumbered- but eventually the Heartless- weirder and even more twisted versions of those found outside the epicentre of all worlds- were defeated...but Riku was alone. King Mickey was nowhere to be found, although the boy _knew_, somehow, that he hadn't been killed.

         So he'd come here alone. Found his way here by himself, searching for those he needed to meet.

         _That Voice, of course._ Riku mused. _And the King. I need to find out what's happened, what it is I'm supposed to do, and where the_ hell _I am. And then...Sora and Kairi...I gotta see them to tell them I'm...sorry._

         He almost wavered then, but drew himself together and smirked again.

         _So, first off, Mr. Big Ominous Voice. Let's see what you've gotta say when you see me personally._

         A light wind whipped through the buildings, raking through long, pale hair and the trailing ends of a thick black blindfold that fastened around a pallid face. The storm continued regardless as Riku strode further into the metropolis, unaware of green eyes.

         Green eyes, set into a thin face, that followed his every move and had done since his arrival. Their owner grinned ferally before vanishing in a blaze of flame the same bright red as their hair.

         Well, I didn't have much trouble getting this chapter up relatively quickly, but the next one is looking to be quite in depth (read: long!), and due to excessive coursework overloads, and the revision I SHOULD be doing...well, let's juss say it might be longer than a week. Still, please leave a review and lemme know what you think. Thanks very much!


	4. Beginnings

Well, finally, here is the fourth chapter! It took me a while to write, and then to type up, not least because of the length of it, but also because of being extremely busy with exams...ugh. At the moment, I'm right in the middle of them, so don't expect another update until sometime near the end of June AT THE EARLIEST. Many apologies for this, but that's the most realistic thing I can say at the moment- heh, don't ya just love exams?

Disclaimer: Of course I own Kingdom Hearts. Just as much as I own The Rasmus. long pause I am, of course, being sarcastic. muttered Dammit...

Chapter Four- Beginnings.

_"I am your creator, and I can be your destroyer too..."_

For a long, long moment, it seemed as though time had frozen in the small house in Cole's Junction. Nobody moved an inch, and it sounded as though the entire world was holding its breath.

Eventually, it was Tyke who broke the silence, choking out a bewildered, "Huh?"

A few things happened at once then: Lucia hurried forward a few steps just as the man half-turned to regard her from the corner of his eye, saying, "Heh. Seems like someone has some explaining to do."

"Don't listen to him, Tyke." Lucia said hastily. "Go back upstairs- don't worry. It's OK."

Tyke stared at her blankly, not really hearing her for the words echoing through his mind.

_"Really, Tyke. Is that any way to greet your big brother?"_

_Brother..._

_...brother..._

_.....brother....._

_"Hey, little brother!"_

Tyke sat down on the stair abruptly, face in his hands in utter confusion. His big brother? He didn't have a brother...that he could remember...

_Is this...real?_

"Now see what you've done!" he heard Lucia snap. "We both want you to leave- what're you still doing here?"

_Maybe I'm dreaming again..._

"I get the feeling that that's a slightly biased opinion." The man didn't even sound fazed by the tone in Lucia's voice, or by Tyke's reaction to his greeting. "Surely Tyke can speak for himself- he's fourteen years old, after all."

"I wonder how long it took you to work that out." The woman sneered. "You've been gone long enough."

Tyke looked up at those words- it was the first time she'd acknowledged that maybe he'd known this man once.

"Lucia..." he said uncertainly, causing her to look around sharply- he stared at her without an expression. Is he...telling the truth?"

Lucia exhaled a shaky breath, unwittingly giving the stranger a chance to answer first.

"You mean that you don't remember me?" It sounded almost like a statement- maybe as though he'd expected it. "that's a shame. I had hoped that you wouldn't forget me. But, then again, you _were_ only little when I had to leave, and I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering that I've probably not been mentioned in years-"

"That's because blood doesn't make you our brother!" Lucia spat. It was all out now, nobody making any attempt to deny anything. "You abandoned us- I was only fifteen, what was I _supposed_ to do?"

The stranger seemed about to reply when Tyke suddenly stood and interrupted loudly.

"That's _enough_! Both of you! Stop it!"

Lucia and the man both stared at him- Lucia wide-eyed but the stranger smirking.

"The little lion has a loud roar." He said amusedly.

Tyke narrowed his eyes at him. "I think you both need to tell me what the hell's going on. Now."

His sister sighed heavily, pushing back some of her hair and nodding, not quite meeting his gaze. "You're right. Come sit down. Maybe you should know..."

"He has arrived."

The stone floor was cold and hard beneath him as he remained for a while, on one knee a few feet from the only other person in the room. It was a couple of seconds before the reply came.

"As I expected." The voice was cold and harsh, holding an air of scorn towards anything and everything. "Alone?"

"Yes, sir." He'd learnt to keep his answers as direct as possible when talking to his master.

"Not as I expected." Gloved hands gripped the wooden arms of the large regal chair where the figure was enthroned. "You are sure?"

"Yes, my lord." _Because Fate help me if I wasn't..._

Another long pause, and the young man sneaked a glance up from the flagged floor at his master- a tall being, concealed completely by a long dark red coat and with bright crimson bandages wrapping over all of his head except for one eye, now turning from the room's arched windows back to him. He hurriedly looked back down.

"So that's his game, is it?" the masked one drawled. "Well, if the King doesn't want to come to us, we shall simply have to go to the King."

Tyke's blue eyes switched back and forth between his sister, now seated, like he was, at the table, and the man claiming to be his long-lost brother, leaning very lightly on the counter opposite him, arms folded across his chest. There was another silence as they watched him, waiting for him to speak.

"I don't even know your name." He was blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Gabe." the man supplied. "Gabe Shamira." He gave Tyke a sort-of half smile. "That's what everyone called me."

"And if you're my brother, where have you been all this time?" There was a sort of indignance or annoyance begginning to build up from right inside of him, maybe partly on Lucia's behalf.

"Away." Gabe's eyes were so calm, unreadable. "There's too little time to explain too much- you'll know that answer fully when the time comes. What I need to know now is if you believe me, and how much you're willing to learn."

"Believe you?"

"If you believe me. If you haven't with the little I've told you so far, you won't believe me any further."

"Why?" Tyke frowned, but gained no reply from the older male. He studied him for a while, considering carefully. Gabe's hair was similar to his, only finer and a shade or two darker, wooden beads and a few dark feathers ending a thick braid woven in on one side. His features, almost identical to Tyke's, but altered and matured by age. And the eyes- one as blue as his own, but the other the same brown as Lucia's. The familiarity of his prescence that plagued obscure half-memories into rising just out of Tyke's reach...

"I believe you." He stated clearly, meeting his brother's eyes with a nod which was returned. Lucia made a slight sound, pulling loose hair out of eyes which were fixed firmly on the table, but said nothing.

"Alright." Gabe intoned levelly. "I don't suppose you'll understand much of what I'm about to say, but I merely ask for your trust."

"OK." Tyke was getting impatient now, wanting, _needing_, to know what was going on- why Gabe was here now after so long, where he'd been all this time, why Lucia was hiding her face in her hands and still hadn't spoken. Tyke looked from her to Gabe.

"Very well..." Gabe straightened fully, uncrossing his arms and staring straight at the younger one. "This has to do with our old world, our home world, with our people...and with destiny."

Apprehension began to rise in Tyke's stomach- he opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't think of any words to speak. Gabe took a slow step closer, looking at Lucia, who glance back up in reply. Tyke watched with growing nerves as she looked at him, a hopeless light in her eyes.

"I..." she whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry..."

"You, Tycho Shamira," Gabe cut in, causing Tyke to refocus his attention at the mention of his full name. "You...are a Keyblade Master."

There was a pause.

"What?"

The young man grinned in something like excitement. "How, my lord? Where do you wish for me to hunt him?"

"Not so fast." the cloaked on drawled. "I don't recall appointing any such task to you."

"But, my lord!" The grin was gone, replaced by an almost desperate light in his green eyes. "I want to prove myself! Let me hunt down the King! Or the Keyblade Master! I-"

"Don't forget yourself, Axel!" the masked figure snapped. "Don't forget that I was the one who created you- or did that slip your mind?"

The young man looked away at the floor, muttering a despondant, "No."

"Good." Axel glanced up just in time to catch a smirk flitting across his master's lips. "Because I already have an assignment lined up for you." There was a slight, cold laugh at Axel's obvious sudden interest.

"What is it, sir?" Eagerness was fuelling the growing impatience in his tone. "What do you wish me to do?"

The sole visible eye of the obscured man locked onto those of his servant.

"You are to go back to where you have come from, and you are to destroy Riku."

Gabe nodded towards the wall behind Tyke, where the fireplace stood. "Go and bring that down over here."

Tyke, face creased in puzzlement, glanced back and realised what it was- the old photograph of his parents, with Lucia and himself. He shot the elder one a brief look before slowly scraping his chair back and rising to comply. He stopped in front of the mantelpiece, reaching up and catching sight of the room's reflection in the glass as he brought it down, noticing his sister sitting alone at the table. His eyes narrowed as subconcious voice piped up.

_Wait a sec, why's there only-_

"Bring it over here." Gabe's voice interrupted his thought before he could even make sense of it, making him shake his head slightly before returning to his seat and placing the photograph face up in front of them. Lucia drew in a shaky breath and put her hands over her mouth.

"What's a...Keyblade Master?" Tyke asked, glancing between his siblings. Lucia made a slight sound, but didn't reply, whereas Gabe made a nonchalant hand gesture.

"We'll get to that."

"I thought you said there wasn't much time?" Tyke's mind was a whirl of irritation, confusion and impatience, all of which was currently directed at Gabe and his unfaltering calm.

"We don't." the man replied, expression not even flickering. "But there are a few things you need to know first. About the past."

"Then hurry up and tell me." His teeth were gritted now, tone far less polite than before.

"Very well." Gabe surveyed him unhurriedly for a few seconds. "I'm not sure how much Lucia has informed you with, but I assume it wasn't much."

Lucia's eyes slitted at him. "I wanted to protect him!" she hissed, slamming her palms down so suddenly on the table that Tyke jumped. "I tried to do what you _wouldn't_."

Gabe didn't even look at her as he gestured at the photograph and began to speak again.

"Or world is- or, perhaps more accurately, _was_- a place called Mana. It was a rural sort of place, very different to here...maybe some would call it a wilderness. But we were happy." Gabe's mismatched eyes regarded both of his listeners briefly before his gloved hand pointed out the two eldest in the picture to Tyke. "Our parents were part of what was known as the Thirteenth Order- that was what our tribe called ourselves. The Order's main purpose concerned particular knowledge, maybe sort of prophecies, about the Worlds."

"The Worlds?" Tyke frowned.

"Apart from this world and our own, there are countless other existences." Gabe supplied. Tyke nodded slowly, wondering why he'd never really thought of that before. "Usually, these worlds- what the Order called 'Present Worlds'- are completely separate from each other. Nobody can get into them and no one can get out.

"So how did we end up here?" the younger one blurted out, looking between his brother and sister, before focusing again on the former. "And why haven't you been here in Cole's Junction for so long? How did you get out? Wh-"

Gabe held up a hand to silence him. "I'll explain."

"Tyke-" The boy looked round at Lucia, who reached out and took his left hand in both of hers, eyes wide and seemingly imploring. "Tyke, you don't have to hear this. If you don't want to hear it, you don't have to listen to him."

Gabe shook his head slightly, the beads of his braid rattling quietly. "It's not your descision, Luci. He's made up his mind already- right, Tyke?"

Tyke glanced up. "Uh...yeah." He looked back at his sister. "I want to know, Lucia. I want to hear it." _Please understand..._

Lucia made no reply save a small noise in the back of her throat, instead giving his hand a slight squeeze.

"Every world has its own wall." Gabe started up again as though nothing had happened. "You may not be able to see them or sense them, but they are there. However, for one reason or another, these walls can become damaged or broken down. And on of these reasons-" He paused, looking Tyke directly in the eyes. "Is force."

"Force?" Tyke asked, somewhat confusedly. "You mean..." He trailed off, receiving a nod from the other male.

"Yes. Beings known as the Heartless attack worlds in an attempt to drown them and their inhabitants in darkness." Tyke wasn't sure whether or not he could hear a sort of resigned sorrow underlying in Gabe's voice. "Most often, they succeed in their destruction."

"Is that...with our world?" He shifted uncomfortably. "Did these...whatever they are...did they..."

"Yes." To his surprise, it was Lucia who answered, and he looked around at her with wide eyes. Her face was pale and her eyes fixed directly on the table. "The Heartless came to Mana ten years ago and killed everyone- our family, our friends..." She swallowed hard before meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry, Tyke."

"So, how come we're here?" For some reason, even unknown to himself, he wasn't finding this difficult to understand. In fact, it...made sense.

"Lucia and I were ordered to escape with you immediately." Gabe's reply was almost mechanical. "We managed to bring you here, to this world, which has fortunately remained safe for all these years. But now, within the past few of those years, some help has arrived." That very slight half smile pulled at the corner of his lips again. "those destined for the Keyblades were summoned by Fate, just as the Order knew they would be- except for one." Unequal eyes regarded him levelly.

"Me?" Tyke asked, although he knew the answer even before Gabe's calm nod. He swallowed, pulling his hand from Lucia's and hiding his face in his fingers, not knowing how he was supposed to react.

"The prophecies of the Order referred to a 'protector', some sort of 'guardian'." Gabe said. "And, as far as they managed to work out, it's supposed to be you. You are the one who will guard the Keybladers and maintain the equilibrium."

Tyke gulped again, running his hands up through his hair, gaze falling onto the framed photograph. The parents whose faces he couldn't himself remember smiled up at him, with his younger version sitting between them and grinning widely. Lucia, teenaged and missing her scar, stood behind them with a happy expression. Stalling, uncertain, almost not wanting to believe, he burst out, "If you're telling the truth, why aren't you in this picture?"

He was met with that almost non-existent twitch of his brother's lips and glared at the pause before the almost amused reply.

"I'm not quite sure. Try taking it out of the frame."

With a frown, Tyke took the object in his hands and turned it over, sliding the clasps of the frame back and doing as Gabe had instructed- from the corner of his eye, he could see Lucia clamping a hand over her mouth and overcome by a slight trembling- pulling out and flipping over the photograph to examine it.

His eyes widened and he ran slightly shaking fingers over a torn section previously concealed by the casing. Around the ragged edge, he could make out a fold of clothing, the ends of a few blonde spikes, half a hand.

_...sitting on the stairs, shouts, angry hisses...a rip, a door slamming...tears and finality..._

He looked up. Gabe's expression hadn't altered at all except for a slight arching of one eyebrow.

"Does that answer your question, little brother?" Tyke glanced from the man to see Lucia clamping paling lips together and clenching her fists tightly as though she was trying to hold back an undescribably anger. "Do you want to ask anything more before the ultimate question?"

Tyke studied him with narrowed eyes, hesitating before asking slowly, "What do you mean, 'ultimate question'?"

Gabe still remained impassive as he answered.

"Whether or not you are prepared to leave everything you know behind to face up to destiny."

Silence descended once more.

Axel leapt to his feet.

"What?" he half-shouted, disbelief obvious. "You can't mean that! What would be the p-"

"Silence!" The cloaked one made a sharp hand gesture, causing the younger to jerk back, clutching his ribs with a grunt. He continued in a low, menacing tone, "Don't forget yourself, Axel. I am the master here, and you will do as I say, _understand_?" He raised his hand again as if to inflict more pain, but did not move it.

"Y-yes, my lord." Axel groaned, before straightening and releasing his chest. "But sir-"

"You dare question me?" the masked man snarled. "You dare talk back to me as though we are _equals_?"

"No!" His voice was rising now in something like agitation. "But, my lord, why send me?" He gestured wildly. "That place is crawling with mercenaries and assassins- why not just hire one of them?"

"Because this is not a job for them." his master growled, leaning forward slightly and gripping the arms of the large chair tightly, continuing in a hiss. "You do not fully realise what you are saying- you would leave this task in the hands of another?" A cold laugh. "How naïve..."

Axel bristled, and made a desperate last attempt to save face, voice even louder now.

"But, sir, I really think I should search for the Keyblade Master! We have to eliminate him- I could go and find him, _kill him_, and our problems would be so much less-"

An arm swept down through the air- Axel cried out as an unseen force collided with his entire body and sent him flying back into the wall behind him- he slumped to the floor-

"Insolent fool!" his master roared. "You talk of 'we' and 'our' as if we were partners, _equals_, and you seem to ignore reality!"

Green eyes glared up at the masked figure though wild red hair.

"I am your creator," he hissed. "And I can be your destroyer too- now stand!"

Axel rose shakily but immediately, muscles protesting against the pain.

"Now get out." The master stated, voice low and dangerous. "Return at once to the World of Balance and _do as I have told you_!"

Axel hesitated very slightly before bowing and turning to go.

"Yes, _my lord_."

Tyke continued to stare at the photograph on the table in front of him, immersed in thought but concious all the while of how closely his siblings were watching him. After a long while, he looked up at Gabe and said quietly, "I don't have any choice, do I?"

Gabe shifted his head slightly. "It depends on your point of view. Depends on whether you are willing or not." Tyke looked away and he carried on. "Ideally, I could take the time to fully prepare you for this and tell you all you need to learn, but this isn't an ideal situation. I need to know now, Tyke- will you help us?"

There was a second's pause before Tyke met his gaze with determination.

"I will."

His brother gave something near a half-grin and nodded, just as there came a quiet "Tyke..."

Tyke whipped his gaze around to Lucia, face now almost blank as her fists slowly uncurled, and a sense of horrible guilt came over him when he saw her unreadable brown eyes.

"Lucia...I'm...I...sis...I've gotta do this." He dropped his eyes to his lap, whispering, "I'm sorry..."

"No. I am."

He looked up wide-eyed as she rose, sighing. "I'm sorry that I never let you know about this, any of it." She pursed her lips briefly, putting her hands on her hips. "But I want you to understand that all I ever wanted to do was protect you, that's all. I shouldn't have hidden it, that was wrong, and I understand that now, but I only wanted you to be safe and happy. That's all."

Tyke stood up to face her, slightly shakily. "I know, sis." He didn't want to tell her about the nerves and uncertainty bubbling away in his gut.

She gave him a small, sad smile, moving her hands to his shoulders. "If you're sure you're going to go, just remember that you'll always have a home here with me in Cole's Junction, and..." She pulled him into a sudden hug. "I love you."

He put his arms around her quickly before she pulled back. "Yeah, uh...you too." He'd never been any good with this stuff, and it didn't help at all that he knew Gabe was crossing his arms and smirking at them. He scrubbed absently at the back of his neck before suddenly remembering. "Oh- god- what about Bi-"

Lucia nodded, cutting him off. "Don't worry. I'll tell Biggs, Wedge and Jessie for you. But I'll also tell them that you'll be back." The smile grew slightly, and he shifted when he noticed a hint of something shining in her eye- he hoped she wasn't going to cry. "I want you to remember what I told you, stay safe, and come home eventually." She nodded, clapped his shoulder, and then stepped back. "No go. Do what your heart tells you, but don't ignore your mind or soul either."

With a somewhat confused nod, Tyke turned and walked over to Gabe, who had uncrossed his arms again and begun to head towards the door. When there, he stepped aside and waved for Tyke to open it, which the boy moved to do.

"Wait."

Tyke stopped, hand on the doorknob, and looked round to see Lucia pacing forward- but her dark eyes were looking past him at Gabe. He looked between the two, uneasy with the growing atmosphere.

"I haven't placed my trust in you for a very long time, _brother_," Lucia said, sarcasm emphasising the last word as she drew herself up determinedly. "It's not something I have had to do, nor wanted to. But now, I'm telling you to guard him with your life. Don't let him out of your sight. Make sure nothing harms him."

Gabe smirked again. "Of course, Luci. He's my brother too, after all."

She returned this with a cold smile. "I may not have picked up my axe in ten years, but I swear to you now, Gabriel- if anything hurts Tyke in any way at all, I'll cleave your head from your neck the minute I next see you. Understand?"

Tyke gaped at her, frozen to the spot. _Wow, I never knew she could be like that!_

Gabe, however, didn't even flinch.

"Perfectly." He moved closer to the door and gestured for Tyke to carry on- which he did after a further stunned pause. "Just remember, we all have our parts to play- even you, Lucia."

He strode out past Tyke and into the street. Tyke looked at Lucia's grim expression as she remained motionless for a second before nodding at him.

"Go."

"Tyke, come." Gabe interrupted from outside. Jolting out of his thoughts, he smiled and nodded back at his sister.

"Bye Lucia."

With that, he shut the door of his home behind him and looked around to face Gabe- who had already begun to move away. Tyke sighed heavily, glancing up at the now much darker sky just as the silvery trail of a shooting star began to fade.

"Tycho!"

Tyke snapped his gaze around with a start, realising suddenly that Gabe was already nearly halfway down the street and still continuing. He skittered a few steps before breaking into a run to catch up.

"Hey, slow down a bit." He said. "What's the big rush?"

"I've already said we don't have much time." Gabe paused, Tyke catching his breath as he did so, and looked up. The younger saw this and copied him, catching sight of another star's trail dying as a third shot across. When he looked back at Gabe, his brother was expressionless.

"It seems we have even less than I feared." He added quietly, jerking the hood of his long coat up so that all of his face was either conceled or cast into shadow. Tyke frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Gabe was walking on again.

"Hey!" Tyke had to jog to keep up with his brother's pace as they continued through the streets of the town. "Gabe, what's going on? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind." Gabe's reply was short, his voice harsh- Tyke blinked and nearly stopped in surprise. "It doesn't matter yet. All we have to worry about at the moment is getting there."

Tyke could feel the Livella Crystal slapping against his leg where it still lay in his pocket. "Get where? Gabe, tell me!"

"You'll see." It was obvious by now that Gabe's teeth were gritted, and he sounded...in pain?

A fourth star shot across the sky, followed quickly by another one, and then another.

_A meteor shower..._

Tyke took in his surroundings quickly, and suddenly realised where they were headed.

_The Vita Tree._

And the way they were going...Tyke looked around hurriedly at the brick walls, not sure whether or not he expected to see something abnormal.

"Hey!" he gasped out. "this is where I saw that thing, and it disappeared-" He blinked as Gabe bit off something like a curse, but didn't have chance to question it as they charged on, carrying on further down the road and turning off down another.

His lungs and throat were burning as they emerged from the maze of the town by the river. Tyke rushed forward, skidding to a halt halfway across the wooden bridge when he realised Gabe had fallen aside before it. Above them, the sky was ablaze with shimmering comets, glinting and reflecting off of the Crystals of the enormous Vita Tree.

Tyke loked back frantically, finding his brother hunched slightly, a hand clutching his chest.

"What's happening, Gabe?" He was starting to get frantic now.

His brother just shook his head. "Go- on. I'll...I'll meet you there."

"Meet me where? Gabe!"

"Get to the Tree! Go on!"

With a slight hesitation, Tyke turned his focus back to the Vita Tree, eyes widening as a silvery shape began to bleed into view on the trunk- first the curve of a circle, almost complete before the lines broke away and carried on straight.

_A keyhole?_

"Meet me where?" he shouted again, looking back and stopping dead.

There was no one there.

"Gabe! Gabe, where are you?"

_I'll meet you..._

Tyke turned right around, yelling out in surprise at the sound of Gabe's clear, quiet voice. Still there was no one- he was completely alone.

_Where 'there' is..._

"What?" he yelled, fists clenched as he looked wildly about. "Gabe! Quit it!"

His eye was caught by something nearby- he looked up and gasped as the star fell straight towards him.

_I'll see you soon._

No time to move- no chance to avoid it- he was frozen to the spot.

_Don't be afraid._

There was a blinding flash of white, and then darkness all around him.

Well, now you see what I meant by a long chapter. Hahaha, it was hell to type. Ugh. But thanks once again to DemonSurfer, my loyal reviewer- and I don't think Riku's hearing that voice, seeing as I don't even know what Infector3 is, heheh. So I hope you enjoyed it and will review (please), and see you sometime near July!


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